


Time Is Eternity

by la_muerta



Series: Sensorium [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet, Canon Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Episode: s03e05 Stronger Than Heaven, Established Relationship, Fic Battle, Immortality Angst, M/M, Porn with Feelings, Pre-Episode: s03e05 Stronger Than Heaven, Smut, episode speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 19:22:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14339328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta
Summary: He wants Alec to hold him so hard his fingers leave bruises. He wants the burn of Alec making love to him tattooed under his skin. He wants Alec to break him, and mend him with gold, to leave his mark on Magnus. He wants this to last just a little longer, in this world where nothing lasts forever.





	Time Is Eternity

**Author's Note:**

> Part 3 of the ficlet battle between [irisadler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisadler/pseuds/irisadler) and I. We both went a little over the ficlet word count this time though, so it's more like a one-shot battle.
> 
> My prompt was: time.
> 
>    
>  _Note: This was written before the episode aired, as speculation as to why the events in the episode promo occurred. Tags have been updated accordingly._

 

> "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."
> 
> \- _Henry Van Dyke Jr_

 

Alec stirs.

"Morning." 

"Good morning to you too," Magnus replies softly, eyes still closed.

Magnus' head is resting on Alec's chest, listening to Alec's heart beating in a steady rhythm counting out the seconds, minutes, hours; counting down the days. 

They have been together less than two months, even counting the time that they were apart, and already Magnus can't imagine not having this - can't imagine not waking up to Alec in his bed every morning, can't imagine not having Alec in his arms every night, can't imagine not missing Alec in the hours in between. How much time does a shadowhunter have, even if as Head of the Institute Alec spends more of his time battling bureaucracy and paperwork than demons? Fifty years? Sixty? His magic is powerful, but even he can't make time stand still. In the lazy golden light of the rising sun, Magnus is filled with a sudden panic.

He opens his eyes to find Alec watching him, the morning light turning his hazel eyes as gold as Magnus' own real eyes.

He kissed Alec for the first time when Alec was dressed in a gold tuxedo. He had the privilege of seeing Alec fall apart with pleasure for the first time while Alec lay flushed and yearning and resplendent on Magnus' gold sheets. Magnus knows what gold means to a shadowhunter - it means till death do us part, it means as close to forever as any mortal can promise. 

(It's not nearly enough, not for an immortal who has been foolish enough to give his heart to a mortal, but it's more than anybody has thought to offer.) 

And maybe some day he will have to put a shard of his broken heart and all his memories of Alexander in the box that contains mementos from all his lost loves. But today is not that day - not yet. (Please god, not ever, because he doesn't think his heart will survive this hurt, and there will be nothing left of him when that day comes.)

"Is everything alright?" Alec asks, brows suddenly furrowed.  

Years and years ago, a Japanese master craftsman told Magnus about the art of _kintsugi_ \- mending broken ceramics with gold lacquer, because scars are proof of a life lived to the fullest, not something to be hidden, but to be displayed with pride.

He wants Alec to hold him so hard his fingers leave bruises. He wants the burn of Alec making love to him tattooed under his skin. He wants Alec to break him, and mend him with gold, to leave his mark on Magnus. He wants this to last just a little longer, in this world where nothing lasts forever. He wants, he wants, he wants.

Magnus summons Alec's stele and hands it to him. "Strength and Stamina," he tells Alec. Alec is still frowning slightly, but there is a hunger flashing dark in his eyes, and he acquiesces. 

He distracts Alec with a filthy open-mouthed kiss as he pulls him closer and lets Alec’s weight press him into the mattress. Alec is already half-hard; Magnus rolls his hips up, grinds his cock against Alec's, his own cock filling up as Alec grinds down with equal fervour and cradles Magnus' head as he thrusts his tongue into Magnus' mouth. Magnus surrenders to it, lets Alec slide the flat of his tongue roughly against Magnus' own tongue, lets him suck and nip at his lips until they're swollen and red. 

He preps himself with magic because he doesn't want Alec to know that it's not nearly enough, that this is going to hurt, in more ways than one. Then he tilts his hips up invitingly, crossing his ankles at the small of Alec's back.  

Magnus wants Alec to use the power of his angelic runes to take everything Magnus has to give, then take it all over again for his own pleasure.

But as always, Alec surprises him - he always does. 

Instead, Alec uses his superhuman strength and stamina to hold himself back and pin Magnus down, only the tip of his cock pressing into Magnus' slicked entrance.  

"I love you," he tells Magnus softly. 

"I love you too," Magnus replies, heart aching, straining to get more of Alec inside him. 

Alec shakes his head, as if Magnus doesn't get it. "I love you."

"You've already said that," Magnus murmurs. 

Alec's pupils are blown wide, just a thin ring of hazel now, but still he holds Magnus' hips down to stop him from rubbing himself up against the head of Alec’s cock.

"I love you," Alec whispers, keeping his eyes on Magnus' as he presses the flared head of his cock in gently, barely breaching Magnus' body. "I love you."

Magnus can't tear his eyes away from Alec's tender regard, can't help letting out a soft moan when he feels his body yielding under Alec’s patient ministrations. Alec speaks his declaration of love like a mantra, a meditation to calm Magnus' fears even as he sinks slowly into Magnus. Magnus can feel his glamour dropping as he drowns in the earnestness of Alec's gaze, the stretch of his body more pleasure than pain despite his intentions. By the time Alec has settled himself as deep as he can go, they are both trembling.  

"I love you too," he whispers into Alec's ear, then cries out when Alec pulls out just a little and thrusts back into him. "God, I love you. I love you so much- _Alexander_!"

Alec knows what Magnus wants, but instead he gives him what he needs - long, rolling thrusts deep into his body, lips soft against his neck and arms wrapped tightly around him as he draws out their joint pleasure. Magnus loses track of everything except the hot drag of Alec's cock over his prostate, Alec softly moaning into the crook of his neck as he slides in and out so slowly. There is only _now_ , only his beautiful Alexander inside him, surrounding him, splitting his heart wide open and filling it up with gold.

They begin moving against each other with more urgency. Alec wraps a warm hand around Magnus' cock, and Magnus links his fingers with Alec's as they stroke him together - Magnus can almost taste it now, his magic flaring uncontrollably across Alec's skin in bright sparks as he hurtles towards his release.

They reach their climaxes almost simultaneously despite Alec's stamina rune, Alec crying out Magnus' name just as Magnus begins to spill over their joined hands, his magic flooding Alec with an echo of his pleasure until they are lost in an endless loop of sensation. In the blanked-out bliss that follows, Magnus can think of nothing except Alec, feel nothing but joy and contentment. No matter what happens in the future, there will always be this moment in Magnus' too-long life where he felt nothing but peace, where he knew with absolute certainty that he was loved.  

Magnus may not be able to make time stand still on his own, but maybe _they_ can make time stand still, together.


End file.
